Clark Frost
by htbthomas
Summary: Clark can’t stop thinking about Lois. Lois is still confused about Clark. Oliver is pretty sure he knows what will fix that... Written for 12 Days of Clois Christmas challenge.


**Title:** _Clark Frost_  
**Author:** **htbthomas**  
**Fandom:** _Smallville_  
**Spoilers:** For Season 8, through _Bride_  
**Rating:** PG  
**Prompt:** Icicles  
**Word Count:** 3,652 words  
**Betas:** **fictionalknight**, **Mark C  
**

**Summary:** Clark can't stop thinking about Lois. Lois is still confused about Clark. Oliver is pretty sure he knows what will fix that... Posted for 12 Days of Clois challenge.

**Author's Notes:** So here I break my own tradition by posting a _Smallville_ story! Imagine that the issues brought up at the end of _Bride_ have been dealt with as you read. Or, I mean, _most_ of them. ;)

~o~o~o~o~o~

Oliver Queen had been spending a lot of time on his private jet this year. He had been spending most of it alone, though not by choice. But with holding down two jobs at once - one above board, one under the hood, both requiring a lot of travel - he couldn't afford not to.

This time, however, he had convinced Clark to come along. This job wouldn't take up much of Clark's time, this close to the holidays. Of course, the job would have taken Ollie ten times longer without Clark's help. The flight was the worst part, time-wise. As fast as Clark could move, he still hadn't mastered trans-Pacific hops.

Ollie liked having company on the jet. Even though his aide was usually present, they didn't have the same rapport. Clark, on the other hand, was the closest thing he had to a real friend, and they didn't see enough of each other, especially with the two of them so busy this year.

Ollie glanced over at Clark, who was staring out of the window into the clouds. Yes, having him along was great... except that Clark wasn't really all here. His mind was off over those clouds, probably back in Metropolis, focused on the _Daily Planet_ building and his work. And Ollie would bet that Clark's focus, truer than the flight of one of his own arrows, was on a certain brunette reporter...

"She'll be there when you get back, you know."

Clark started and looked back at Ollie, a half-frown on his face. "What do you...?"

Ollie grinned, only the corners of his mouth turning up. "Don't tell me you're not thinking about Lois right now."

Clark's half-frown turned into a grimace. "Okay... fine. But I don't want to be. This is the last thing I need right now, with all the Red and Blue Blur hype."

"So maybe they should rename you The Lone Ranger, instead of The Blur?" Ollie walked over to the mini-bar and took a glass out of the cabinet, calling over his shoulder, "Oh, wait, don't tell me, that name is already taken."

"Don't joke. I'm still trying to decide how much information I should give out. And Lois... well, you know that she'll follow a scent like a hound after a fox. If she ever finds out that her trail leads to me...?" Clark shuddered.

Ollie added a few ice cubes and poured his drink. "And would that be so bad?" He turned and faced Clark fully, leaning back against the bar.

Clark looked back at Ollie in alarm. "Wha...?"

"Seriously, Clark. Let's look at the facts. One: she has a thing for heroes."

Clark gave a short laugh. "Awfully full of yourself tonight, huh?"

"Hey," he said, spreading his arms wide. "I _am_ the Green Arrow." He winked and walked back toward his seat. "Maybe I should say, guys with a hero _complex_ - A.C., Grant Gabriel..." _You_, he thought. He didn't dare share what Lois had told him the night of Chloe and Jimmy's wedding. Green Arrow or not, she would kill him.

Clark nodded grudgingly. "But she also said she couldn't handle having a relationship with one."

"That was a year ago, Clark. Things change."

"Maybe some things do."

"Just hear me out. Two: she can be trusted with a secret. She's known about my secret identity for a while now, and has never printed a word."

Clark seemed to consider this for a moment. "True... Still, she made a promise to me that she would get the first interview. You think she'd give that up so easily?"

"No. But that doesn't mean she would tell them your true identity. Anyway, there's more. Three: she's tough. Four: she's loyal. Five: she accepts people as they are." Ollie swirled the ice in his almost empty glass, waiting for Clark to refute these points.

"Okay, yes, you're right. I know all of that about Lois. And I... I care about her. But I..." Clark trailed off and looked down.

"Don't want to see her hurt? Isn't that the excuse you always use?"

Clark quickly looked up, eyes flashing with hurt. "Excuse? It's only the truth! Pete, Lana, Lex, Chloe, my Dad..."

"I'm sorry, I know." He held Clark's eyes, trying to show him his sincerity. "You just need time." He had a sudden thought, and decided it wouldn't hurt to offer. "I have a little cabin up in the woods just outside of Metropolis. It would be a great place to relax and just think about it."

"I've thought about it, Oliver. It would never work." Clark's voice sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as Ollie

Ollie swigged back the last of his drink. "If you say so. But my offer remains open."

They spent the rest of the trip making last minute plans for the upcoming job. If Clark seemed to drift away in his thoughts more often than usual... well, Ollie wouldn't be the one to point it out.

~o~o~o~

Ollie walked into the _Planet_ two days before Christmas, looking for Clark. He wasn't answering his cell phone, but that wasn't anything new. He was probably out stopping crime on his coffee break, and ignoring the phone. Normally it didn't really bother Ollie, but what if he needed to get a hold of Clark in an emergency? Ollie often wondered if he shouldn't invest in some sort of special technology... maybe a subsonic frequency only Clark could hear?

Ollie shrugged to himself. He'd look into it later. For now, he needed to find out if Clark was going to take him up on that offer. If not, he could certainly put it to better use... He headed for Clark's desk.

Unsurprisingly, Clark's chair was empty. But the desk across from it was definitely occupied. Lois was squinting into her computer screen, typing away.

Ollie sat on the edge of her desk, and she glanced up. "Hey." She went right back to her story.

"And a Merry Christmas to you, too," he teased.

"Eh, it's just another day to me, Oliver. Besides, someone has to keep the news going when everyone else is taking the day off."

She might say that now, but he could see the dark circles under her eyes. She was covering it pretty well – her tenacity masked a quiverful of insecurities. He wondered what was keeping her up nights. Actually, he didn't wonder. It was either chasing the Red and Blue Blur, or thinking about the man behind the phenomenon. Too bad Lois didn't know they were one and the same.

"That's the Lois we all know and love. Taking one for the team."

She smiled slightly, and kept working.

If he were anyone else, he would have taken the hint and left her alone. But he was Oliver Queen, and he never backed away from a challenge. Plus, he was probably the only person who knew how Lois felt about Clark. He had a sudden thought. "You know, Lois, even as busy as you are, surely you can take a day off."

She finally stopped typing and turned to face him. "Why? I don't really have any place to go, other than sponging off my friends. What's the point?"

"I happen to have a nice cabin outside of town - all the amenities, even wireless access. You could still work if you _had_ to. But even better..." He lowered his voice. "You could get away from it all."

She turned back to her story. "There's nothing to get away from."

"So working right across from Clark day in and day out doesn't bother you at all?"

"Why would it? It's like he's not even here."

Ollie gestured at the empty chair. "Where is Clark, anyway?"

"I don't know. Probably haring off to wherever he always goes..." she grumbled.

Lois was trying really hard, but she had to know Ollie was seeing right through her. "Then you've talked to him about what happened at the wedding?"

"Well, it's been really busy lately..."

"So, no. Why not?"

"I... I don't know. Every time I think it would be a good time, something happens, or Clark has to go, or I freeze up..."

"Freeze up? The Great Lois Lane?"

She punched him lightly on the knee, but didn't say anything.

Ollie wanted to say more, but he knew the best way to get Lois to listen was not to push. "I bet all you need is time by yourself, time to think about things." He took out his key ring and removed the one for the cabin. "Look, I'm not going to use the cabin this week, and there's no reason why it should go unused." He set it down and scribbled the address on a notepad.

"Hey, wait..." She tried to push the key back toward him with a frown.

Ollie placed his hand on top of hers to freeze it in place. "Just think about it, okay? If you don't use it, I'll get the key back from you later."

Her wrist relaxed, and before she could protest, he stood up and walked away with a wave. When she didn't chase after him, he smiled. Taking his cell phone out of his pocket again, he tapped a few buttons. If Clark didn't pick up this time, it would be his own damn fault.

~o~o~o~

Clark closed the phone and looked at his watch. It was about 5:30 PM. He should be able to get there before dark, especially if he used super-speed. Oliver had sounded so strange on the phone, though, and Clark was sure that it was more than just for chiding him about accepting his invitation at the last moment.

Within minutes, he had packed a light bag and was soon racing up the slope toward the cabin, freshly fallen snow spraying out behind him in the fading light. But as soon as he came to a stop, he knew something about the place wasn't right. A rental car was parked out front, its trunk still open from being unloaded. The front door was slightly ajar, and he could hear the heartbeat of the person inside... a very familiar heartbeat...

Lois' face appeared in the doorway before he could react. "Smallville?" She came out onto the porch and put her hands on her hips.

He affected surprise at seeing her. "Lois?" Oh, crap. How was he going to explain how he got there? Thinking fast, he explained, "Ollie's chauffeur let me off at the end of the drive."

"He _told_ me that I would be here all alone," she said, folding her arms.

"He told me the same thing."

"He set this up," they both said almost in unison.

For a moment, they just stared at each other. What was he going to do? How could he possibly get out of this? Would she leave? And why did it hurt to imagine her leaving?

"Well, make yourself useful, and bring those in," she said, pointing to the opened trunk. She turned and went inside the cabin, no further discussion needed.

Clark's cell phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket, and he took it out. There was a text message from Oliver. _"You'd better not leave. How would you explain it anyway? ;)"_

Clark snapped the phone shut. Ollie was right. Clark would have a hard time explaining that he could leave without any transportation. So Ollie wanted him to spend time with Lois? Work out all of their issues? Fine - he would give it a try. He shrugged and grabbed the duffel bags inside the trunk.

When he got inside and closed the door, he found Lois at the stove, putting a kettle of water on. "You want tea or cocoa?"

"Cocoa sounds good."

Clark set the bags by the large double bed and took off his jacket. Then he looked around the cabin. It was cozy and well-appointed - a flatscreen television, a couple sofas, a modern-looking kitchen, an office nook with a desk and a wireless router... but it was all in one room. Obviously he would have to take the couch, but with no separating door, he had a feeling he would get little sleep. Thank goodness for his Kryptonian constitution.

Lois opened a cabinet and pulled out the box of cocoa mix. "So what are _you_ doing up here, Smallville? Don't you have some sort of down-home country Christmas on the farm planned?"

"Not this year. Mom is busy with the transition in D.C."

"And what about Lana?" she asked, not meeting his eyes. She busied herself with opening the box and taking out two packets.

"What _about_ Lana?" He walked over to the bar and selected one of the mugs hanging from a hook. "She left as soon as you returned from Star City with Jimmy." He shook out his packet, also carefully not looking at Lois. "What about you? Why aren't you spending Christmas with Chloe and Jimmy?"

"Are you kidding? Now that Chloe's back, she wants to spend every moment with him. They never got a honeymoon, you know." As she spoke, the tea kettle began to whistle behind her. She poured the hot water into his mug and then hers.

"So neither of us had a place to go, and we both ended up here together. It must have been—"

Her eyes shot up to his at the same moment, flashing. "If you say it was Fate, I'm going to _smack_ you."

Clark laughed. "Unless that's Ollie's other nickname... no."

"Good," she said, and then gestured to the couch for them to sit.

Clark was surprised that Lois had not repacked her car and left, or insisted that he take her rental. Her silence on the matter was even more telling. Of course, he hadn't offered to leave either... his arguments to Ollie the other day notwithstanding.

Lois picked up the remote control and flipped through the onscreen guide for something to watch. She flipped past all the children's specials and the romantic Christmas movies alike, frowning in frustration. "How could there be nothing good to watch? This thing has like, a gazillion channels..."

"We don't have to watch TV."

"What else is there to do here?" She gestured around the room, studiously avoiding the side of the room with the bed.

Clark took a deep breath. Somehow he was sure Ollie had planned this part, too. "Um... we could talk." He gently pried the remote control out of her hand and pressed the power button. "We haven't really talked much since Chloe and Jimmy's wedding."

"What do you mean? We see each other every single day at work."

"But even then, we don't talk about anything but assignments... or the Red and Blue Blur leads you're chasing."

"That's always been enough before," she countered, sounding defensive.

"But that was before we almost..." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted it. Why was he even bringing that up? Sitting here right next to her, after everything they had gone through in the last few months, must be affecting his judgment.

She licked her lips nervously, unknowingly staring at his lips. "...almost..."

He found himself leaning in again, drawn to her despite all of his misgivings about getting involved with someone right now. Maybe this would make up his mind about her once and for all...

Lois jerked back, almost jumping off the couch. "You know what? This is just wasting time. I need to be back in Metropolis! The Red and Blue Blur isn't taking a day off. Why should I?

"Lois..."

She ignored him, gathering up the items she had unpacked before he arrived. "Enjoy your rest here. I'll make sure you get a ride back." The words tumbled out of her.

"Won't Ollie be upset that you're leaving, Lois?" he said, thinking of his text message.

"No, of course he won't be. Besides, even if he was, it's not like he'd send a posse after me or something." She halted for an imperceptible moment, and then kept packing. She must have realized that her comment could possibly give away Oliver's secret, and kept silent.

Clark stood up, ignoring her implication. "I guess I'll carry your bags back out for you."

"Thanks. I'm going to check the road conditions." She tossed him the keys to the rental.

He went outside as she was opening up her laptop, wondering if this was just meant to be. They had the perfect opportunity to talk with no distractions, to clear the air between them... but neither one was willing to take the first step.

Clark set down the bags beside the car and looked out over the mountainside. Lois shouldn't have much trouble with the weather - it looked clear for miles, and the road crews had salted and plowed all the roads as far as the main highway. If only they _were _stuck here, snowed in, or avoiding an ice storm... He blew out a noisy breath in frustration.

A crackling sound on the car drew his attention suddenly, and he stared at the car in shock. A thin film of ice went in a line across the top of the roof, in exactly the same direction as the breath he had just exhaled. Disbelieving, he tried again...

In moments, ice was covering the entire roof and the edges of the windows. Was this a new power? It would certainly keep her here... before he could change his mind, he covered the whole car in a sheet of ice, blowing until icicles hung from the mirrors and the bumpers.

At that moment, Lois came bursting out of the door, bundled up for the cold. "It looks like it's clear all the way to..." She trailed off as she noticed the car. "What the hell...?"

"I was just thinking the same thing."

"How...?"

"Freak mountain conditions? A pocket system?" Clark shrugged.

"This is going to take forever to clear off!" Lois released a string of curses as she stomped in a circle around the car. "Another day lost! Who has it in for me!?"

Clark immediately felt sorry for his moment of weakness. "Lois, let me help. I have a lot of experience de-icing the farm equipment. I could probably get it done in an hour or so."

"No," she groaned. "Not if there's going to be ice on the roads, too." She tromped over to the porch and sat down heavily.

Clark came and sat beside her, but not too close. "Would it so bad to stay here tonight with me?" He remembered her reticence to look at the bed. "So we can actually talk?" he clarified.

"No, of course it wouldn't... I just... I don't know what to do..."

Suddenly Clark did know what to do. He scooted closer, placed his hand over her gloved one, and placed a light kiss on her lips.

As he pulled back, Lois blinked a couple of times in astonishment. Then she moved forward to kiss him back forcefully. And even though he wasn't really affected by the cold, he felt something intangible inside him start to thaw and spread warmth through his entire body.

After a few minutes, Lois broke the kiss and looked into his eyes with chagrin. "So much for talking, huh?" She leaned in to kiss him again.

He stopped her with a hand between them. "Wait. We really do have to talk about something first."

"What could possibly be so important?" she teased, to hide the worry he saw in her eyes.

If he and Lois were going to have a relationship, a real one, he had to tell her about himself. Ollie was _sure_ that Lois could be trusted... but there was only one way to know whether or not he was right. "You've been wanting an interview with the Red and Blue Blur, right?"

"Right, but what does that have to do with—"

"I can get you one."

"What? How?"

"But there's one condition." Clark walked over to the car and stood in front of it. Training his heat vision on the car, he slowly melted the sheet of ice from the car, the water running off in rivulets and sizzling as it hit the snow on the ground. When the car was completely dry, he turned to Lois, who had been silent during the entire demonstration. "You have to keep his identity a secret."

She stood shakily. "You mean you... the whole time...?"

He nodded from where he stood.

"You've been saving people for years, haven't you?"

He nodded again.

Her eyes glittered as she added, "And you've been... saving me, too."

He blurred over to stand right in front of her. "Yes, especially you."

She took a step back. "Oh, my God, this is so much to deal with..."

"I'm sorry, Lois. I had to tell you before we went any farther. Does it change things?"

She looked up in alarm. "Change things?" She stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him into a searing kiss.

This time _he_ was the one blinking when she pulled away.

"It doesn't change one _ounce_ of what I feel for you, Smallville." She kissed him again, slower this time, seeming to savor his taste. "But I want to know _everything_."

"Everything?" he chuckled. "Well, it's a good thing we have the whole night here, then."

"Oh, yeah. But let's talk more... inside." She put her hand in his and started to lead him back inside the cabin. "We'll have to thank Oliver for this little Christmas gift."

"Definitely."

Clark suddenly felt a buzzing in his pants pocket - his cell phone again. As Lois went through the doors of the cabin, Clark pulled out the phone and checked the display. It was another text message from Oliver. It read, _"You're welcome."_


End file.
